Transforming Golden Syrup Remnants into a Heavenly Toffee Sauce: Step-by-Step Instructions

That stubborn last drops remaining in the golden syrup tin can be transformed into something wonderful. Instead, turn it into a luxurious butterscotch sauce perfect for Bonfire Night, deliciously poured over oven-roasted apples accompanied by creamy ice cream.

Butterscotch Sauce with Baked Apples

Apples transform through a beautiful transformation when baked, transforming this seasonal ingredient into a remarkably simple but luxurious dessert. My preference is for cox or braeburn varieties (ie, something not too large), allowing for single-apple portions.

Classic methods which produce consistent outcomes provide the foundation for this adaptation. In this case, I've adjusted a standard dessert sauce to make use of the stubborn residue from your nearly-empty can, reduced the amount of sweetener, and incorporated salt and vanilla extract optionally to intensify the classic flavor of traditional butterscotch. (The special sugars in treacle alternative are essential for achieving an exceptionally smooth dessert sauce, since plain sugar can form crystals, leaving it grainy.) Should you lack the traditional syrup, corn syrup or natural honey also work well.

This versatile sauce complements all manner of desserts, from a classic banana split to warm fruit desserts with ice-cream. The heated preparation melts seductively over the baked produce, establishing a delightful juxtaposition of tastes, consistencies and thermal contrasts. Store leftover sauce in a closed vessel in the refrigerator for about fourteen days, or for a few months in frozen storage.

Serves 6-8 individuals

For the Caramel Sauce

• 2-3 tbsp liquid sweetener (I used the dregs of your container), or corn syrup or honey
• 180g sugar (light or dark)
• ½ tsp sea salt (coarse salt)
• 150ml double cream (heavy cream)
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (if desired)

For the Apples

• 6 medium dessert apples (baking apples)
• 60g sultanas or raisins (currants)
• 30g sugar
• 30g butter
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• Dairy accompaniment, for serving

Preparation Steps

To extract the final remnants from a tin of golden syrup, pour in about 100ml boiling water and, holding the tin in protective material to prevent burns, move it circularly and clean the interior with a scraper until free of residue. Transfer this syrup mixture into a big cooking vessel. (If you're not finishing off a tin, simply measure multiple measures of the sweetener into a pan and incorporate warm water instead.) Add the sweetener and seasoning, position the vessel on moderate temperature and rotate (as opposed to stirring) the pan occasionally, until the sugar and salt incorporate.

Leave the syrup to boil softly without interfering with it, then, when you notice the sweet layer of the vessel start to darken, rotate once more so the preparation browns uniformly. Once it's golden brown, remove the vessel from the flame and gently introduce the heavy cream (foaming may occur, so stand back), then mix to create a creamy preparation. Introduce the butter and vanilla extract, if including, and combine further until glossy. Present immediately or transfer to a bowl and allow to reach room temperature.

Preheat your oven to moderate oven temperature, and remove apple centers from the apples. In a mixing vessel, mash the dried fruit, sweetener, dairy fat and aromatic, then press this mixture into the empty center of each apple. Position every apple in compartmentalized baking pan, to collect escaping liquids, then oven-cook for about half an hour, until yielding to pressure with a testing tool. Present while hot finished with your homemade sauce and perhaps some ice-cream.